California Seeks Footing as Sky Keeps Falling
By NICK MADIGAN
Wicked weather across the United States was blamed for
several deaths over the weekend from Southern California to
Pennsylvania.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/10/national/10weather.html?th

Investigators Questioning Crew's Role in Train Crash
By MATTHEW L. WALD
Investigators were looking into whether the crew of the
train that crashed in South Carolina was distracted or
fatigued when it was time to reset a railroad switch.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/10/national/10train.html?th

As White House Begins Social Security Push, Critics Claim
Exaggeration
By EDMUND L. ANDREWS
Opponents of the Bush administration's approach insist that
Social Security's problems can be easily fixed by tweaks to
payroll taxes and benefit formulas.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/10/politics/10social.html?th

Democrats Pick Campaign Chief
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois was named as the
new chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign
Committee.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/10/politics/10emanuel.html?th

Report From Panel Shows Lapses in U.N.'s Oil-for-Food
Program
By JUDITH MILLER
An independent commission said that the U.N. failed to
monitor the giant aid effort adequately.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/10/internat.../10food.html?th

Murdoch Will Buy Rest of Fox Shares in $7 Billion Deal
By ANDREW ROSS SORKIN and GERALDINE FABRIKANT
Rupert Murdoch, consolidating his global media empire in
the U.S., is expected to announce that he will buy out the
shareholders of his Fox properties.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/10/business.../10deal.html?th

Cheap Seats Provide View of Troubles at Exchange
By JENNY ANDERSON
The price of a seat on the New York Stock Exchange has been
collapsing, down 63 percent from its peak in 1999. Why?

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/10/business/10nyse.html?th

HBO to Give 3 New Films for Viewing on Public TV
By BILL CARTER
The deal will allow the Public Broadcasting Service to
replay three original HBO films after they have completed a
monthlong run on the premium cable channel.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/10/business...a/10hbo.html?th

Housecleaning at the U.N.
Staffing changes at the United Nations are needed in such
critical areas as peacekeeping and refugee assistance.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/10/opinion/10mon2.html?th

The Silent Kennedy
Rosemary Kennedy's silent life had profound echoes in the
creation of the Special Olympics.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/10/opinion/10mon4.html?th

Going by the Rules
The State Senate and the Assembly are expected to agree on
new rules for legislating. On a scale of 1 to 10, the
Assembly's proposed changes deserve a 6.5 or 7. The
Senate's proposal appears to do little.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/10/opinion/10mon3.html?th

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;j...storyID=7274250

Two Dead as Flooding, Mudslides Hit California
Sun Jan 9, 2005 04:20 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A powerful winter storm slammed California for the second day on Sunday, causing floods and at least two deaths around Los Angeles, which was the hardest hit, officials said.

The mudslides, floods, power outages and traffic crashes spawned by the storm were among the worst in a decade. "This is something we only see about every five to 10 years," said National Weather Service Meteorologist Dan Keeton.

The storm, which began battering California from San Francisco to Los Angeles on Thursday, was "hellbent" to continue through Monday with up to 2 feet of rain in some of the higher mountain elevations in and around southern California and up to 12 inches of rain in lowland areas, Keeton forecast.
/.../
A man and his two children were pulled alive from the rubble of a hillside Los Angeles home which collapsed and was totally destroyed, fire officials said. They were taken to an area hospital with minor injuries.
/.../
"The soil is getting very saturated which is dislodging the root systems for trees and brush so they become unstable," said spokeswoman Kim Hughes.
/.../
"Combined with the already saturated ground and high tide with the new moon, there's an increased risk of flooding and mudslides," said Wendy Sellers, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Monterey. /.../

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?t...storyID=7274806

Man Shot Dead, Two Hurt in Mississippi Hospital

ATLANTA (Reuters) - A man was killed and two others injured on Sunday when a bizarre family dispute escalated into a shooting in an eastern Mississippi hospital, authorities said.

The incident began early on Sunday morning near Meridian, Mississippi, when a man shot his wife during a domestic dispute and then turned the gun on himself, according to Lt. Dean Harper, a spokesman for the Meridian police.

Both were transported to nearby Rush Foundation Hospital, where they were being treated for their wounds. Their sons, who were from previous relationships and unrelated, arrived at the hospital several hours later and began arguing.

The son of the wife then shot his stepbrother to death and fled the scene with a friend. He later turned himself in to police and has yet been charged with a crime.

"I've never seen anything like it," said Harper, who declined to identify any of the people involved in the shootings. The condition of the wife and husband are not known. The hospital reopened after police had searched every floor.

WATERFORD, VA. Perhaps it was the timing that made the Indian Ocean tsunami all the more staggering.

To wake up after a day of rejoicing, gifts, and way too much food to such terrible news from the other side of the globe was almost too much to bear.

Would you understand if I said I wanted it to hurt my children's hearts too?

Read more of this commentary:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0110/p09s01-coop.html?s=meset

WASHINGTON The Presidential Inaugural Committee could see this one coming a mile away: How do you swear in and celebrate a reelected George W. Bush at a time of war, with so many Americans (and others) dying in Iraq and Afghanistan?

The Asian tsunami, with its own mounting and unfathomable human toll, only adds another layer of "how can we put on our party shoes at a time like this?" Certainly, the argument continues, the $40 million price tag for inaugural festivities would be better spent on equipment for US troops and relief aid for Asia.

Read more:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0110/p02s02-uspo.html

An edgy agenda for California

LOS ANGELES AND OAKLAND, CALIF. – For the ultimate political superhero, it is perhaps a curious decision. This is the man who smashed an automobile during the recall campaign to signal his opposition to a car tax. This is the man who has called legislators "girlie men" and turned "special interests" into an evil more loathsome than homicidal cyborgs.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has ever been the avenger for the average Joe - a Mr. Terminator goes to Sacramento. So it is no small irony that in his State of the State address Wednesday, the "people's governor" staked much of his political future on one of the most arcane areas of insider politics: redistricting.

Read more:

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0107/p01s01-uspo.html

__________________________________
NEWS ALERT
from The Wall Street Journal


Jan. 10, 2005

CBS fired four employees -- including "60 Minutes" producer Mary Mapes -- after an independent investigation into a report about Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard found that "basic journalistic steps were not carried out in a manner consistent with accurate and fair reporting."

FOR MORE INFORMATION, see:
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1105370...8921610,00.html

THE PROGRESS REPORT

by Christy Harvey, Judd Legum and Jonathan Baskin

January 10, 2005


IRAQ
The Salvador Option

To deal with the skyrocketing insurgency, the Pentagon is considering creating secret death squads in Iraq. Now, the Pentagon's brave new solution for democracy in the Middle East is to revisit the reprehensible "Salvador Option," the clandestine operation implemented by the Reagan White House in the 1980s in El Salvador. Back then, faced with losing a war against the Salvadoran rebels, the United States government funded "nationalist" forces "that allegedly included so-called death squads" which killed scores of innocent civilians. Today, according to an explosive new article in Newsweek, the Pentagon dusted off that model and has a proposal on the table to "advise, support and possibly train" secret Iraqi squads, "most likely hand-picked Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and Shiite militiamen, to target Sunni insurgents and their sympathizers, even across the border into Syria."

WHAT THE SQUADS WOULD DO: It's unclear whether the current proposed policy would direct the Iraqi squads to assassinate their targets or "snatch" them and send them to secret facilities for interrogation. In plain language: the squads would be either hit men or kidnapper/torturers. The United States has recently come under serious criticism for whisking suspects to countries with questionable interrogation techniques. Recently, for example, a German national was allegedly kidnapped by Macedonian authorities, turned over to the United States and flown to a prison in Afghanistan where he claims to have been repeatedly beaten, all because he shared a name similar to one of the 9/11 suspects. Other reports show the CIA has employed a secret private jet to ferry terror suspects to places with terrible human rights records, such as Egypt, Jordan, Afghanistan and Libya.

EL SALVADOR AS A TEMPLATE: Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has held El Salvador up as a model for Iraq. And during the recent Vice Presidential debates, Vice President Dick Cheney stated, "Twenty years ago we had a similar situation in El Salvador. We had a guerilla insurgency that controlled roughly a third of the country, 75,000 people dead. And we held free elections...And today El Salvador is a whale of a lot better because we held free elections." According to a 1993 U.N.-sponsored truth commission, however, up to "90 percent of the atrocities in the conflict" were committed by the U.S.-sponsored army and its surrogates, "with the rebels responsible for 5 percent and the remaining 5 percent undetermined." These death squads "abducted members of the civilian population and of rebel groups. They tortured their hostages, were responsible for their disappearance and usually executed them."

NEGROPONTE'S NEFARIOUS NEGLIGENCE: John Negroponte, the current U.S. Ambassador in Baghdad, is no stranger to death squads. In the 1980s, Negroponte served as the U.S. Ambassador to Honduras. At the time, he was "cozy" with the chief of the Honduran national police force, Gen. Gustavo Alvarez Martinez, who also ran the infamous Battalion 316 death squad. Battalion 316 "kidnapped, tortured and murdered more than 100 people between 1981 and 1984." According to Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, "Negroponte publicly adopted a see-no-evil attitude to this army death squad."

ABRAMS, THE ATROCITY APOLOGIST: President Bush also appointed neocon Elliot Abrams to be his senior adviser on the Middle East. Abrams was also a staunch supporter of the Salvador Option in the 1980s: when newspapers "reported that a U.S.-trained military unit had massacred hundreds of villagers in the tiny Salvadoran hamlet of El Mozote, Abrams told Congress the story was nothing but communist propaganda." When confronted with the United Nations report that the vast majority of "atrocities in El Salvador's civil war were committed by Reagan-assisted death squads," Abrams's response: "The administration's record on El Salvador is one of fabulous achievements." Abrams was convicted of lying to Congress about Iran-Contra in 1987 -- he was pardoned by George H.W. Bush in 1992.

MEDIA
News They Can Use

The White House paid conservative commentator Armstrong Williams more than $240,000 of taxpayers' money to "promote President Bush's No Child Left Behind law" on his syndicated television program "and to other African-Americans in the news media." His public commentary on the law likely violated Section 317 of the Communications Act, which stipulates broadcasters must disclose when they are paid to include program matter in a broadcast. Over the weekend, Chicago-based Tribune Media Services dropped Williams's column, "saying he violated his contract," and CNN spokesman Matthew Furman said Williams failed to disclose his government contract before he praised the law during a segment in October. The Williams Contract is just the latest of the administration's repeated efforts to pass off government propaganda as news. Join Media Matters' David Brock in asking news organizations to refrain from using Williams as an "independent" commentator.

"EDUCATING" THE PUBLIC: The Williams contract was filtered through Ketchum, a public relations firm that the Department of Education has paid $1 million in taxpayer money to help promote its policies. As part of a $700,000 contract uncovered by People for the American Way in October, Ketchum helped the administration produce a "video news release geared for television stations." It also developed a ranking system for newspaper coverage of NCLB. Points were awarded for stories saying "President Bush and the Republican Party are strong on education," while "Stories lost five points for negative messages, including claims that the law is not adequately funded or is too tough on states."

AN INSTANT ADVOCATE: Williams has called himself a "longtime supporter of No Child Left Behind," but he wrote nothing about the bill in his weekly syndicated column until his contract kicked in late in 2003. He proceeded to write five columns singing the praises of Bush's education policies in the first six months of 2004. In addition, he shilled for NCLB on CNN (10/19/04) and CNBC's the Capital Report (8/9/04). According to Bloomberg's Al Hunt, Williams did some heavy lifting for the bill behind the scenes as well: "Armstrong did deliver his promise," Hunt said, "because I occasionally worked out at a gym and Armstrong's there, and he told me several times, you know, 'Why don't you write about No Child Left Behind.'"

MORE FAKE NEWS: NCLB is not the only domestic policy the Bush administration has promoted covertly to the public. Last January, local news stations across the country aired a story by "reporter" Mike Morris, "describing plans for a new White House ad campaign on the dangers of drug abuse." Viewers were not informed that Morris was not a journalist, nor that his "report" was produced by the government. On Friday, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the investigative arm of Congress, "scolded the Bush administration for distributing phony prepackaged news reports," which included a "'suggested live intro' for anchors to read, interviews with Washington officials and a closing that mimics a typical broadcast news sign off."

ACTING LIKE JOURNALISTS: The GAO's rebuke is the second of its kind. The Office chided the White House last year for distributing fake news segments promoting its Medicare legislation. One segment featured paid actress Karen Ryan posing as a "reporter." Another video, intended for Hispanic viewers, showed a government official being interviewed in Spanish by an actor posing as a reporter named "Alberto Garcia." The GAO said the segments "violated federal law" and were a form of "covert propaganda" because "the government was not identified as the source of the materials, broadcast by at least 40 television stations in 33 markets."






Under the Radar

OHIO -- BLACKWELL ASKS FOR ILLEGAL CONTRIBUTIONS: In the fashion world, when Mr. Blackwell puts you on his list, there's a good chance that he is paying you a compliment. In Ohio, when Mr. Blackwell puts you on his list of potential donors, it means he wants you to pay towards his 2006 gubernatorial campaign -- through legal or illegal means. Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, who has been embroiled in controversy since serving a dual role as chair of the Bush-Cheney reelection campaign and overseer of the Ohio elections, recently sent out pledge cards to a list of potential donors stating that "corporate & personal checks are welcome," even though corporate donations are illegal in Ohio. Blackwell's spokesman blamed the mistake on a printing error and claims that all such donations would be returned.

TERRORISM -- GOSS CANCELS DAILY COUNTERTERRORISM MEETING: Since former Chairman of the House intelligence committee Porter J. Goss became the new director of the CIA, "about 20 senior CIA officials have resigned or retired" as a result of what many have seen as personnel moves that were partisan in nature. Now the next thing to go on Goss's list is the director's daily 5 o'clock meeting with senior CIA, FBI, Pentagon and Homeland Security Department officials. Instituted by Goss's predecessor, the daily meetings were created in reaction to the failure of intelligence agencies to coordinate their tactical counterterrorism operations before the Sept. 11th attacks. Though the meetings are now being held only three times a week, a CIA official assures that "They are still very much focused on terrorist issues. If something exploded, [Goss] would get briefed right away."

IRAQ -- MORE DETAINEES HELD OUTSIDE GENEVA CONVENTIONS: Roughly 325 foreign fighters are currently in U.S. custody in Iraq and "have been deemed by the Justice Department not to be entitled to protections of the Geneva Conventions," the New York Times reports. Moreover, the foreign detainees, whose numbers swelled by more than 140 after U.S. troops entered Fallujah in early November, may soon "be transferred out of the country for indefinite detention elsewhere." White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales appeared to approve of these Justice Department policies during his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week. Describing how members of al Qaeda were "flooding" into Iraq, Gonzales said, "the question was legitimately raised, in my judgment, as to whether or not -- what were the legal limits about how to deal with these terrorists." The decision to ship detainees to other countries (particularly those with weaker prohibitions on torture) has become a "principle weapon in the CIA's arsenal" against prisoners.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS -- DESPITE PROMISES, FIRMS KEEP DRUG STUDIES SECRET: A Boston Globe analysis found that drug companies have publicly posted unpublished trial results for just five drugs, despite their promise six months ago to make their clinical trials more transparent. At the height of the industry's political crisis last fall, major drug firms said they would use a common website to offer Americans ''unprecedented access" to clinical studies "both good and bad." Yet, of the more than 10,800 prescription medications and dosages sold in the United States, the website has posted information on only 26 drugs, the Globe found, and only five of those studies include data that have been previously unpublished. The site also lacks any information about the "unpublished, large-scale clinical trial of Vioxx performed in 2000 that showed a six-fold increase in cardiovascular risk." ''It's pathetic," said Dr. Drummond Rennie, associate editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association. ''They get all the publicity from saying they will do it, and then they don't."

LABOR MARKET -- FACING UP TO THE NUMBERS: Fabiola Quitiaquez suffers from high blood pressure and cholesterol; her daughter uses a screwdriver to change gears in her car. However, Quitiaquez realizes that car mechanics and doctors visits are unaffordable luxuries. Unfortunately, her case is not a unique one. About one in five unemployed workers have been jobless for more than six months -- "the point at which most state benefits run out." These 3.6 million American workers living without unemployment benefits are faced with what psychology professor Richard Price has dubbed a "chain of adversity," a life full of personal and psychological stresses. Despite the Bush administration's constant ravings about the overall drop in unemployment numbers, Economic Director at the conservative American Enterprise Institute Kevin Hassett admits, "It's not a partisan issue, it's a fact. The labor market is worse than in the typical recovery."

VETERANS -- HOME BUT HOMELESS: The Department of Veteran Affairs is facing an old problem much sooner than expected; veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are already showing up in homeless shelters. According to a nationwide survey released by the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, nearly 70 veterans from the two active military campaigns have spent time in shelters over the past year. Though the number may seem small in comparison to the number of soldiers discharged so far, veterans' groups see these individuals as the first trickle of what is expected to be a deluge of returning soldiers psychologically scarred by these emotionally taxing wars.



GOOD NEWS

On Sunday, Sudan's government signed a comprehensive peace agreement with rebels, ending a 21-year civil war.


DON'T MISS

DAILY TALKING POINTS: The White House Propaganda Mill

PATIENTS' RIGHTS: Bush plan "would punish many of those most deserving of compensation."

RIGHT-WING: Tsunami doesn't get in the way of lavish inauguration extravaganza.

SECOND TERM: The administration's growing reputation as "the boy who cries wolf."

TSUNAMI: Check out Quarters from Kids, a nationwide, grassroots campaign to engage young Americans in Tsunami relief efforts.

RELIGION: Law and Divinity student Stephen Ruckman examines the delicate crossroads of faith and public policy.


DAILY GRILL

"I wanted to do it because it's something I believe in."

-- Armstrong Williams, on why he accepted $240K from the Bush administration to promote No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

VERSUS

Zero.

-- Number of times Armstrong Williams wrote about NCLB in his syndicated column, according to the Townhall.com archive. After signing the contract, he wrote five columns.


DAILY OUTRAGE

The State of Texas used federal money allocated for homeland security "to buy a trailer that was used to haul lawn mowers to 'lawn mower drag races.'"

Court to Hear Arguments of CIA Spies

By Charles Lane

Espionage is not a sentimental business. Just ask John and Jane Doe, a pseudonymous married couple who agreed to betray their Soviet-bloc homeland during the Cold War in return for what they thought was a promise from the CIA of a new home in the United States and a lifetime income.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle

Democrats Are United in Plans To Block Top Bush Initiatives

By Dan Balz

As President Bush prepares for his second term, Democrats in Washington and around the country are organizing for a year of confrontation and resistance, saying they are determined to block Bush's major initiatives and thereby deny him the mandate he has claimed from his reelection victory last November.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle

Gingrich Finds God in Washington

By Mike Allen

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich says he "got fed up with people who argue that somehow the concept of the creator wasn't central to how the Founding Fathers understood America." So in a book being published today, he includes a 19-page "Walking Tour of God in Washington, D.C.," cataloging references to the Bible, Moses and a heavenly father on the Capitol, monuments and memorials.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle

Republicans Come Up Short Courting Black Conservatives

By Terry M. Neal

Former pro football great Reggie White doesn't fit the political stereotype of African Americans - a group that is more loyal in its support of Democratic candidates than any other demographic group. But White's politics and values echo those of a great many blacks who are conservative on social and cultural issues.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle

Automakers Put Hydrogen Power On the Fast Track

By Greg Schneider

The brakes are controlled by a computer, so the car can stop a full length shorter than most. Each rear wheel has its own motor and can turn by itself, which not only improves traction but also makes parallel parking a snap. And the only thing this car emits is water vapor.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle

CBS Fires Four Executives

By Howard Kurtz

CBS has fired four executives after the release of an independent investigation into its debunked National Guard story.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle

Volcker Probe Faults U.N. Auditors on Iraq

By Colum Lynch

NEW YORK, Jan. 9 -- Internal auditors at the United Nations failed to investigate allegations that Iraq siphoned billions of dollars in illicit profits through kickbacks from companies that bought more than $64 billion in oil and humanitarian goods, depriving the organization of a "potentially powerful agent in helping to ensure accountability," a U.N.-appointed investigator said Sunday night.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle

Inaugural Security Draws on Latest Technologies

By Sari Horwitz and Spencer S. Hsu

In a new facility likened to a set from the "Star Wars" movies, police agencies will be able to monitor action in the most heavily guarded presidential inauguration in history.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle

Rumsfeld's Legacy: The Iraq Syndrome?

By Lawrence Freedman

Just as Vietnam became McNamara's War, Iraq has become Rumsfeld's War.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle

CIA Director Cuts Meetings On Terrorism

By Walter Pincus

The daily 5 o'clock meeting at CIA headquarters that for the past three years has coordinated tactical counterterrorism operations involving senior CIA, FBI, Pentagon and Homeland Security Department officials has been cut back by new CIA Director Porter J. Goss to three a week, according to current and former administration and intelligence officials.

To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...er=emailarticle

http://www.washtimes.com/upi-breaking/2005...42922-4959r.htm

Former spy sues CIA for support

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/01/10/Worldand...It_s_a_sh.shtml

Spy vs. CIA: It's a shot in the dark
Can a secret agent sue to enforce a contract he agreed to keep secret? The US Supreme Court will hear arguments

___________________________________
January 10, 2005 -- 12:50 p.m. EST
__________________________________
THE AFTERNOON REPORT (IN FULL)

Wheeling and Dealing

By MARK GONGLOFF
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ONLINE


Analysts looking for a flush of corporate deals in 2005 got it in spades today, as several deals were announced, totaling more than $16 billion.

In one of the biggest deals, News Corp. offered some $6 billion to buy the rest of the shares of Fox Entertainment it didn't already own. Since Rupert Murdoch moved his entertainment juggernaut's headquarters from Australia to sunny Delaware, having Fox trade separately from its parent company made little sense. Fox shares jumped 11% on the news.

Meanwhile, Alltel agreed to buy Western Wireless for nearly $6 billion in cash and debt, forming the No. 5 carrier in the U.S. wireless industry and helping it keep pace with its consolidating competitors. Some analysts grumbled that Alltel had paid too much, though, and its shares fell a bit.

Finally, U.K. bank Standard Chartered confirmed it would pay U.S. fund Newbridge Capital about $3.3 billion for a controlling interest in Korea First Bank, Korea's No. 8 lender. Standard Chartered shares fell in London; Korea is an enormous and growing market, but its economy has shown signs of a slowdown, and Standard Chartered paid a big price for Korea First.

All of those deals were anticipated by reports in The Wall Street Journal and/or the New York Times. More surprising was the news that Hollywood Entertainment, the No. 2 U.S. video-rental company in terms of sales, agreed to be purchased by No. 3 video renter Movie Gallery for about $1.2 billion in cash and debt. Industry leader Blockbuster Video also had its eyes on Hollywood and was widely expected to get what it wanted, supported by financier Carl Icahn. But Blockbuster's bid was much lower, and some analysts suggested that Movie Gallery was a better match for Hollywood, with complementary existing stores. A Los Angeles buyout firm, Leonard Green & Partners, once agreed to pay more for Hollywood, but slashed its offer after inspecting Hollywood's books. Some analysts wondered what it found there and whether Movie Gallery would get a nasty surprise on its wedding night. Other analysts suggested that the merger would mean little in light of the industry's many woes. Investors cheered the deal, though, sending shares of both partners higher, while punishing Blockbuster.

* * *

CBS Fires Four in Memo Flap
CBS News has fired four people after an independent probe of the network's handling of a report last year about President Bush's National Guard service. The report made use of documents that were never proven to be forgeries, but were never authenticated, either. The investigation said that "myopic zeal" had led employees at CBS News, a unit of Viacom, to push the story without validating the documents, resulting in tremendous embarrassment for the network. Some observers believe the scandal also led to last year's decision by long-time anchor Dan Rather to retire, though he denied a connection. The independent report accused Mr. Rather of "the same errors of credulity and over-enthusiasm" that affected the employees getting their walking papers. Those included the report's producer, Mary Mapes; Josh Howard, executive producer of "60 Minutes Wednesday," and his top deputy, Mary Murphy; and a senior vice president, Betsy West.

* * *

Baghdad Police Official Assassinated
Insurgents killed Baghdad's deputy police chief and his son, pulling beside their car on a street in a neighborhood near their home and blasting it with machine-gun fire. Insurgents have ratcheted up their attacks on Iraqi officials in recent weeks, as the national elections scheduled for Jan. 30 loom. Last week, insurgents assassinated the governor of Baghdad province, and they've killed nearly 100 Iraqi security forces in a week of intense violence. Today, they killed four other Iraqi policemen in a suicide bombing at a Baghdad police station. Two Iraqi soldiers died in a Samarra bombing. Insurgents also killed two U.S. soldiers with a powerful roadside bomb in Baghdad, the second incident in the past week involving a bomb big enough to penetrate a Bradley fighting vehicle. The U.S. Army also acknowledged that a 14-year-old girl had died in fighting near Baqouba, an incident it said was under investigation. The news came after at least 16 Iraqi civilians died this weekend in two other incidents, which are also under investigation.

* * *

Mergers Lift Stocks
After struggling through the first week of 2005, U.S. stocks posted mild gains today, as the spate of merger news overwhelmed the effects of a fresh rise in crude-oil prices. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose about 36 points, with about 686 million shares changing hands on the Big Board, while the Nasdaq composite gained about 17 points. Crude-oil futures jumped above $46 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, on talk of OPEC production cuts. U.S. Treasury bond prices rose. The U.S. dollar weakened against the euro and the Japanese yen. Major European markets fell, as did major Asian markets fell.

* * *

UAW, Caterpillar Come to Terms
Caterpillar came to terms with its United Auto Workers employees, agreeing to a new six-year labor contract and averting a strike. Terms of the deal, which came after a nine-month deadlock, weren't announced. But the union said it would preserve jobs, and the maker of heavy machinery said it might hire more people in the four states covered by the deal. And this deal was much less painless than the last one, in 1998, which took six-and-a-half years to settle, with two strikes in the process.

* * *

High Court Disappoints Calpers
The U.S. Supreme Court said the California Public Employees' Retirement System must pursue its securities-fraud lawsuit on behalf of WorldCom bondholders in federal, rather than state, court. Though Calpers still had some other possible remedies, the decision was bad news for it, since its claims faced lower standards of proof in state courts. The Supreme Court declined to hear a case challenging Florida's law that prohibits gay couples from adopting children. The court also stood aside and allowed a class-action lawsuit to proceed against six health maintenance organizations, including UnitedHealth, Humana, Health Net, PacifiCare Health Systems, Prudential Insurance of America and WellPoint Health Networks.

http://online.wsj.com/afternoonreport

__________________________________
TODAY'S MARKETS
Stocks bounced after sliding at the bell, reversing a trend set last week that saw stocks rise at the opening, then slide for the rest of the session. A trio of mergers and the start of earnings season set the tone for traders early on.

http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1105359...tml?mod=djemTAR


Western oil majors, already feeling squeezed as easy-to-exploit oil and natural-gas fields become scarcer, have brash new rivals to contend with in Asia.

http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1105298...tml?mod=djemTAR



BMW is about halfway through its massive overhaul to broaden its single, narrow product line into a whole spectrum of upscale cars. The plan has worked so far but signs of trouble are cropping up, raising questions about whether the strategy will prove successful in the long run.

http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1105312...tml?mod=djemTAR



Thailand's former chief meteorologist, once scorned for his prediction that a tsunami would hit the country, has been called out of retirement to become an unlikely hero and point man in the effort to set up a tsunami-warning system.

http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1105308...tml?mod=djemTAR


There are some encouraging signs that the Web may have turned a corner in the fight against spyware and other evils. Plus: Waiting till Tuesday for Apple news, and desperate housewives Spam of the Week.

http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1105210...tml?mod=djemTAR



Auto makers are road-testing a wide variety of concepts for a new generation of multipurpose vehicles, as demand for "traditional" SUVs, such as the Ford Explorer or the Chevrolet Tahoe, level off or decline.

http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1105312...tml?mod=djemTAR

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0110/dailyUpdate.html

US considers 'Salvador option' in Iraq
Plan modeled on Reagan-era support for death squads

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/n...kets_forex_dc_2

Dollar Falls, Trade Data Eyed

Bush Administration Proposal to Strengthen Retirement Security of 34 Million Workers Announced by Secretary of Labor; Reforms Protect Workers and Retirees Enrolled in Private, Defined Benefit Pension Plans

1/10/2005 2:14:00 PM

Contact: Eryn Witcher of the U.S. Department of Labor, 202-693-4676

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Elaine L. Chao, U.S. Secretary of Labor and Chairman of the Board of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. (PBGC), today announced the Bush Administration's plan to strengthen the retirement security of the 34 million workers and retirees covered by private, single employer defined benefit pension plans.

"As Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, I have become increasingly concerned as the number of terminated plans grows and the PBGC is forced to assume ever larger liabilities," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. "If nothing is done, the financial integrity of the federal insurance system will be compromised and the pension security of 34 million workers and retirees will be more at risk."

The Administration's plan will ensure the long term solvency of the PBGC and protect the workers and retirees covered by private, single employer defined benefit plans. It is based on three main principles:

-- Reforming the funding rules for private defined benefit pension plans to ensure that employers fully fund their retirement promises.

-- Reforming the premiums that private defined benefit plans pay to the federal insurance program to better reflect the real risks and costs.

-- Increasing the disclosure of information about private defined benefit pension plans to workers, investors and regulators to ensure greater transparency and accountability.

The key elements of the Administration's plan include:

-- A single, accurate way to measure pension fund liabilities, replacing an existing system that is overly complex, confusing and ineffective.

-- Funding targets that reflect a plan's real risk of termination.

-- Reasonable time periods for plans to reach funding targets.

-- Flexibility for solvent companies to make more generous contributions to pension plans during good economic times.

-- Restrictions on the ability of financially strapped companies to promise more benefits than they can pay for.

-- Measures to ensure the long-term solvency of the PBGC.

------

U.S. Labor Department releases are accessible on the Internet at http://www.dol.gov. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format upon request (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the COAST office. Please specify which news release when placing your request. Call 202- 693-7765 or TTY 202-693-7755.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

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House Maj. Whip Blunt Calls on CBS To Retract Bush National Guard Coverage; Says 'CBS failed to uphold its most basic responsibility'

1/10/2005 2:13:00 PM

Contact: Burson Taylor or Jessica Boulanger, Both of Office of House Majority Whip Roy Blunt, 202-226-7022

JEFFERSON CITY, MO., Jan. 10 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following CBS's ouster of four employees today, House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) called on CBS to retract anchor Dan Rather's September 8, 2004 story which called President Bush's National Guard service into question.

Blunt reacted strongly to an independent panel's conclusion that "CBS failed to follow basic journalistic principles" in researching and reporting the story based on documents that CBS has never proved are factual.

Blunt said, "An independent group has underscored what we already knew: CBS failed to uphold its most basic responsibility to its viewers when it aired a false and scurrilous story that deceived the American people and impugned their President."

"Now it is time for CBS to take the responsible step and formally retract the story," Blunt continued. "Certainly President Bush, after four months, deserves an on-air retraction."

According to the report issued today, "CBS News expects its personnel to adhere to published internal Standards based on two core principles: accuracy and fairness. The Panel finds that both the September 8 Segment itself and the statements and news reports by CBS News that followed the Segment failed to meet either of these core principles."

In September, Blunt gathered 40 signatures of his colleagues on a letter sent to CBS President Andrew Heyward, demanding that the network disavow its coverage of Bush's National Guard Service. The Members of Congress have not received a response.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

Supreme Court Upholds Suit Against Gun Industry, Signals Case Can Go Forward; Would be Barred by Gun Industry Immunity Legislation

1/10/2005 1:19:00 PM

Contact: Eric Howard of The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence United with the Million Mom March, 202-898-0792

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Supreme Court today let stand an appeals decision that reinstated a lawsuit by victims of the 1999 Los Angeles Jewish Community Center shootings against gun manufacturers and distributors for negligently supplying the shooter with guns.

While the suit will now proceed to trial, the victims will be denied their right to present their case if the U.S. Senate passes legislation it is expected to consider this year that would throw out the case and others like it around the country.

The Supreme Court let stand a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling upholding a suit brought by victims of Buford Furrow's Aug. 10, 1999, shootings at a North Valley California Jewish Community Center where Furrow carried in an arsenal of semi-automatic handguns and rifles and opened-fire on pre-schoolers and camp counselors, and later killed a postal worker, Joseph Ileto. Ileto's parents and families of four of the injured children brought suit against the manufacturers and distributors of the guns for failing to use reasonable care in their sale and distribution, providing Furrow with access to firearms.

"The courts of this country have made clear that the young victims of this horrific shooting are entitled to their day in court. It is an outrage that many in Congress would deprive them of that right by giving the gun industry unprecedented immunity from civil liability," said Mike Barnes, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence

The 9th Circuit had reversed a trial court's dismissal of the case and was the first federal appeals court decision to find that gun manufacturers and distributors owe a duty to use reasonable care in their sales and distribution of guns. The 9th Circuit panel found that the manufacturers and distributors of the guns that Furrow used could be liable in negligence and public nuisance for the shootings. The plaintiffs alleged that the gun manufacturers and distributors develop and control distribution channels that they know regularly provide guns to criminals. The decision joined a chorus of state court rulings that have gone against the gun industry recently, exposing the reckless way the industry supplies the criminal market.

Even though the court held that the plaintiffs' claims were meritorious, the case would be barred if gun industry immunity legislation soon to be considered by the U.S. Senate becomes law. Such legislation would give the gun industry unprecedented immunity from legal claims and retroactively bar most lawsuits against gun sellers.


http://www.usnewswire.com/

Remarks by President Bush to USAID Employees, NGO Presidents

1/10/2005 12:55:00 PM

Contact: White House Press Office, 202-456-2480

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is a transcript of remarks today by President Bush to USAID employees and NGO presidents:

USAID Headquarters Washington, D.C.

11:32 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Please be seated. (Applause.) Thanks for the warm welcome. Good morning. A little more than two weeks ago, the world witnessed one of the worst displays of natural destruction in history. Since that time, the world has witnessed one of history's greatest displays of compassion.

Most of you are members of this great organization, the United States Agency for International Development. Some of you are members of non-governmental organizations. All of you are playing an important role in that compassionate response. The world has taken notice, and the American people are grateful.

Throughout the many affected regions the loss of life and property is immense. People and nations throughout Asia and around the world are working to ease the suffering brought on by this terrible disaster. The international community has responded with generosity and compassion, and the men and women of USAID have been at the center of that response. And I'm here to thank you. (Applause.)

I want to thank our Secretary of State for his fantastic service to our nation. I want to thank him for recently leading a delegation to the affected areas to express our nation's deepest concerns. I want to thank him for keeping my little brother straight. (Laughter.) But the Secretary is -- anytime he represents America does so with such dignity and strength. And, Mr. Secretary, you did so again, and the world better understands our heart as a result of your trip, and I thank you for it. (Applause.)

And I appreciate Andrew's work. (Applause.) Andrew, you should take that as a good sign. (Laughter.) Either that, or it's all your close relatives who are here. (Laughter.) But I really do want to thank Andrew for not only helping to organize the effort, but for his travels and his concern and his willingness to put in the long hours necessary to make sure that which we spend works.

And I want to thank you all for working along with Andrew. I know the response disaster team of USAID is sitting behind me. Andrew tells me that the response disaster team went into work the minute we heard about the disaster. And since then, you've been working long hours. I appreciate it very much.

We just finished meeting with a group of representatives and heads of non-governmental organizations, NGOs, all of which are providing love and compassion and help. After that meeting I must tell you my spirits were raised even higher than they were walking into the meeting. There is no question in my mind that the NGOs of America provide such vital, vital help in times of disaster.

A little later on, I want to make yet another appeal for people in America to donate money. But I do want to remind our fellow citizens, as you donate money to the tsunami relief effort, make sure you continue to contribute to NGOs, because those groups -- we still have problems in other parts of our country and other parts of the world. It is essential that your contribution not replace the ongoing contributions you're making to help the NGOs of America. You should view the tsunami relief effort as extra help, to help solve the problem, so that we don't short-change the compassionate needs -- the needs for compassion elsewhere in our country and the world.

Colin and brother Jeb earlier, and Andy came by and reported to me what they have seen. The pictures do not do the devastation justice. They don't tell the whole story of what we've seen on TV, what these people have seen in person. The devastation was on a scale that none of them had ever experienced. I think Colin referred to Banda Aceh as something the equivalent of Hiroshima. They reported that the efforts are well-coordinated; in other words, there's a huge problem, but the good news is, is that the efforts -- the compassion, the money, the hope -- is well-coordinated, and that your work is making a difference in saving lives and helping people who need help. That's what you're here to do, and it's working.

USAID personnel in the region responded the very day the disaster struck. So not only did the response team get set up, but the people around the world began to move. Your fellow colleagues and yourselves have been working day and night, 24 hours a day, and we're grateful. It's not easy, I know, it's hard, particularly in the time of year in which this hit. But you're doing your job. And for that, I'm extremely grateful.

I think the intensity of the effort reflects the enormity of the task. After all, the death toll is estimated at 150,000 people, and may climb even higher. Among the dead are thousands of children, and as many as 5 million people are thought to be homeless or without food and clean water. You're coordinating airlifts of relief supplies to the affected areas; you're arranging for clean water; you're arranging for medical aid; you're arranging for psychological help; and that's important work.

USAID has delivered food, temporary shelter, hygiene kits and supplies to help people survive. In other words, we've been focused on the relief effort; now we're beginning to focus on rehabilitation and rebuilding. And as a result, USAID is arranging small loans for those whose livelihoods have been destroyed. We were talking about the NGOs who have been working along with USAID.

I think Ruth mentioned the fact that her agency has now provided a fishing boat. In other words, we're beginning to help rebuild lives and help people get back on their feet.

The NGOs, including our faith-based organizations, had been working in these regions for decades. As the head of the NGO or the representative of the NGO, spoke -- said, "Well, Mr. President, we have been there for 30 or 40 years." And as a result of having been there, there's an infrastructure in place, which is good news for those who need help.

Not only are these people, the NGOs, expressing the world's concern, the cooperation between our government and the NGOs has been superb. And that's important. It is important because we don't want to have a duplication of effort. We want to make sure that we assess the needs, and make sure that our contributions, whether they be from the public sector or the private sector, are spent wisely. And having listened carefully to Colin and Andrew, and the NGO heads, I can say to the American people that to the best extent possible, we're coordinating our efforts.

We're not only coordinating our efforts here at home, we're also doing a better job of coordinating our efforts with other governments and international NGOs. We made an initial commitment of $350 million for relief efforts. That's a commitment from the federal government. And the NGOs, in turn, are using some of those funds effectively to meet the needs of the people on the ground. In other words, what we have done is we made a commitment at the federal level, and we said, how best to spend that money. And the best way to spend that money is to actually spend it with people who know what they're doing on the ground. We don't need to try to -- now is not the time to try to come up with a new way of solving old problems. Now is the way to use people who have been solving problems in an effective way to help people on the ground. And that's exactly what we're doing.

Our military is doing a fantastic job, by the way. I want to thank our commanders on the ground, and I want to thank our troops who are representing the best of America. Navy vessels, including the USS Abraham Lincoln, have moved into the region and they are providing food and medical supplies and clean water. Helicopters and military aircraft are meeting critical needs by airlifting supplies directly to the victims. After all, many of the victims have lived in remote areas. And so many other places, our servicemen -- like in so many other places, those who wear our uniform are showing the great decency of America. And I thank them for that. I can't tell you how much our government and the people of America appreciate the good work our military is doing to help relieve the suffering from this crisis. (Applause.)

The NGOs with which I met tell me about the incredible outpouring of generosity here at home. And I want to thank all those who have contributed to the NGOs. I particularly want to thank two former Presidents -- 41 and 42 -- (laughter) -- or Dad and Bill -- (laughter) -- for stepping up and helping to raise money. It's important that Presidents Clinton and Bush do what they have done, and I can't thank them enough for taking time out of their busy schedules to send out an appeal to the citizens of our country.

Listen, people want to help. I repeat, make sure that this help doesn't take the place of other help you're giving, but if you do want to continue to help, and I ask you to do so, please go to usafreedomcorps.gov on the web page, and that's a way to make sure your money -- shows you where to send your money, and to make sure it's properly used. And, as well, hopefully the legislation I sign that will allow taxpayers to deduct this month's contribution for tsunami relief from your 2004 tax returns is further incentive, kind of a little kick to the heart. (Laughter and applause.)

The United States government and the NGOs that have worked so hard for so long in the region are committed to this area of the world for a long time. This is one of these projects that's not going to happen overnight. The intense scrutiny may dissipate, and probably will, but our focus has got to stay on this part of the world. We have a duty -- we have made a commitment, and our commitment is a long-term commitment, to help these good folks in the part of the world that got affected get back on their feet.

Well after the immediate danger passes, USAID is still going to be in the hard-hit areas. And I thank you for that. See, you're going to be helping the people improve their schools and develop health services and mitigate conflict and reinvigorate local economies, and help build institutions of democracy, so people can live in peace and freedom.

As our government's leader in relief and reconstruction, USAID and its predecessors have done this kind of work before. You have done big jobs in the past, such as the Marshall Plan. And we're committed to not only solving this problem, but we're committed to the work that goes on year-round in nearly a hundred countries, countries that include Iraq and Afghanistan, where you're helping to build -- to bring a better future to millions of people who have been newly liberated, and to regions in the world like Darfur, in the Sudan, where you're helping to reduce deaths and violence in that troubled region.

The efforts of USAID is essential for the foreign policy of the United States of America. Your efforts and the efforts of others, especially to create jobs, promote markets, improve health, fight HIV/AIDS, and help democracy take root, are instrumental to making the world a better place and to protecting the American people.

From Sudan to Sumatra, the world has seen America at its best through the work you do. Sometimes you don't get thanked enough. I don't know how many times a President has been by to say thanks, but -- (applause.) But I'll tell you this: It's my distinct honor to come by and say thanks. (Applause.) I appreciate your compassion. I appreciate your love for your fellow human being, and thank you for the work you do.

May God bless you all. (Applause.)

END 11:46 A.M. EST

http://www.usnewswire.com/

Election of Mahmoud Abbas Presents Opportunity Says AIPAC

1/10/2005 10:25:00 AM

Contact: Josh Block of AIPAC, 202-639-5273 (office) or 202-997-4614 (mobile)

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is a statement by AIPAC on the election of Mahmoud Abbas:

The election of Mahmoud Abbas presents an historic opportunity for the emergence of a new Palestinian leadership committed to living in peace with Israel.

It is vital for Mahmoud Abbas to take immediate action and successfully undertake the much-needed steps of ending incitement and terrorism, building democratic institutions, ending corruption and ensuring transparency to enable the emergence of a viable Palestinian economy. Abbas will need to distance himself from his own incendiary anti-Israel statements during the election campaign, and will have to implement meaningful political and security reforms, such as consolidating the Palestinian security forces and stopping the flow of money, equipment and recruits to terrorist groups including Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.

Only by leading his people in this direction can progress be made toward peace and the fulfillment of President Bush's vision of two states living side by side in peace and security.

Israel wants peace, but must have a sincere and credible partner. Sharon's historic Disengagement Plan to turn over the Gaza Strip and more than 300 contiguous square miles of the West Bank, an area over twice the size of the Gaza Strip, to the Palestinian Authority is an immediate and further opportunity for the new Palestinian leadership to prove its credibility, willingness to work with Israel and its desire to make progress toward ending the violence directed at Israelis.

Israel has always been willing to make tremendous sacrifices and take significant risks to achieve a lasting and secure peace with her neighbors. Hopefully, Mahmoud Abbas will now lead his people away from hatred and terrorism finally providing the Israelis with a credible and sincere partner for peace.

Consistently ranked as the most influential foreign policy lobbying organization on Capitol Hill, AIPAC is a nonpartisan American membership organization that seeks to strengthen the relationship between Israel and the United States. For more than 50 years, AIPAC has been working with Congress to build a strong, vibrant relationship between the United States and Israel. Its more than 100,000 activists throughout the United States work to improve and strengthen that relationship by supporting U.S.-Israel military, economic, scientific and cultural cooperation. Please visit the Web site at http://www.aipac.org.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

/© 2005 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/

U.S. Labor Secretary to Introduce Administration's Proposal to Strengthen Pension System; Secretary Chao to Address National Press Club

1/10/2005 9:45:00 AM

Contact: Eryn Witcher, 202-693-4676, or Gloria Della, 202-693-8666, both of the U.S. Department of Labor

News Advisory:

WHAT: Elaine L. Chao, U.S. Secretary of Labor and Chairman of the Board of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp (PBGC), will address the National Press Club luncheon Jan. 10 to announce the Administration's plan to strengthen the pension system. Secretary Chao will outline a prescription for reform of the legislative framework surrounding defined benefit pension plans.

WHO: U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao

WHEN: Monday, Jan. 10, Luncheon begins at 12:30 p.m. EDT. Remarks begin at 1 p.m. EDT.

WHERE: National Press Club, 13th Floor, Ballroom, 529 14th Street NW, Washington, D.C.

TICKETS: To purchase luncheon tickets please call 202-662-7501

Please Note: Immediately following Secretary Chao's speech, senior administration officials in the Departments of Labor, Treasury, PBGC, and Commerce will give a PEN AND PAD BACKGROUND briefing to answer further technical questions about the Administration's pension proposal.

EVENT: Only Credentialed media will be admitted to the briefing. Reporters can participate in the briefing at the press club or via conference call.

WHEN: 2:15 p.m. E.S.T

WHERE: National Press Club: Holeman Lounge

Via conference call: Please call Gloria Della 202-693-8666 by noon to reserve a spot.

---

U.S. Labor Department releases are accessible on the Internet at http://www.dol.gov. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format upon request (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the COAST office. Please specify which news release when placing your request. Call 202- 693-7765 or TTY 202-693-7755.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

Priest to Dems: End Captivity to Abortion Lobby

1/10/2005 9:04:00 AM

Contact: Jerry Horn of Priests for Life, 540-785-4733

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 /U.S. Newswire/ -- As Democrats wrestle with whether to support an opponent of abortion as the new chairman of the DNC, Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, made the following comment:

"The Democratic Party can be faithful to its tradition of standing with the weak and marginalized only when it stands with the weakest and most marginalized, the unborn children," said Fr. Pavone. "It is time for the party to end its captivity to the extremist groups in this nation who want abortion legal throughout pregnancy, for any reason, and who don't even want the voices of pro-life Democrats to be heard in their own party."

http://www.usnewswire.com/

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Wyoming's two-edged welfare experiment
The state moves 90 percent off welfare rolls, but many remain in
poverty. By Jillian Lloyd
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0111/p01s01-uspo.html?s=hns

When tests' cheaters are the teachers
An inquiry into Texas scores on high-stakes tests is the latest case in
a series of cheating incidents. By Kris Axtman
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0111/p01s03-ussc.html?s=hns

Aggrieved with CIA, a former spy goes to court
A cold-war operative asks Supreme Court to restore his pay, raising
questions about court's role in intelligence matters. By Warren Richey
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0111/p02s01-usju.html?s=hns

That '70s auto show: Fuel economy is back
Vehicles that run on volts and gas go mainstream. By Eric C. Evarts
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0111/p03s01-ussc.html?s=hns

Gay rights setback: Court sidesteps adoption issue
Florida is the only state banning gay adoption, but lawmakers in
several others are debating similar measures. By Warren Richey
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0111/p04s01-usju.html?s=hns

Journalists' Lives on the Line
A record number of journalists - essential to full democracies - have
been killed in the line of duty.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0111/p08s02-comv.html?s=hns

The trouble with 'simplifying' taxes
Politicians vow to fix it, then get sidetracked into using taxes for
social and economic policy goals. By Richard J. Joseph
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0111/p09s02-coop.html?s=hns

http://news.findlaw.com/ap_stories/a/w/115...0073016_33.html

Court Won't Hear Gun Industry's Appeal

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0105/011005c1.htm

Study outlines Senate homeland security oversight

Report Lambastes CBS News; 4 Lose Jobs
--------------------

By Josh Getlin and Scott Collins
Times Staff Writers

January 11 2005

NEW YORK — CBS News dismissed four staffers and appointed a new standards executive Monday after an independent panel issued an exhaustive and highly critical report on how questionable documents — and a frenzied rush to trump competitors — led the network to air a high-stakes story about President Bush's military service that turned into a journalistic and political debacle.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/na...0,3980715.story